Spirit: You're not going to bother about having an excuse?
Me: Nope.
Spirit: But you took forever to update! These poor souls will never know why you left them so!
Me: *rolls eyes* Fine, I was stuck with schoolwork. Happy?
Spirit: Not really, but it'll have to do. On with the story, please!
Me: Well, because you said please...
()()()()()()
The next few days passed in a hurry. Logan made his plans with the Professor after he recovered; the Professor, not Logan. Rogue, who had been acting like Logan for the past while because of his absorbed energy (by the way, this was not a fun experience. Rogue as Logan, or vise versa, will never be right), was finally back to normal and stopped accidentally unsheathing claws whenever she got frustrated or mad. And getting poked or stabbed by those claws was never fun. They hurt!
I didn't bother shifting during those few days. Not much anyway. I was taking a break from training and whatnot. My body was worn and tired from the battle against Magneto, though the Professor informed me that it would be highly unlikely that that would be the last fight we had with the older mutant. I was actually looking forward to a rematch between Magneto and myself. He had hurt my pack too much as to be let off that easily.
()()()()()()
I looked up from my spot on the couch as I heard Logan's heavy footsteps entering the game room. I was in my human form, unwillingly wearing a jean of light blue jeans and a snug forest green shirt with sleeves that stopped just above my elbows. Jean had told me that if I wanted to walk around in my human form, I had to wear actual clothing instead of just my black, skintight suit. Reluctantly, I had agreed. I wanted to get used to my human form along with getting used to interacting with other humans and improving my English. If that meant dressing up in restrictive clothing, so be it.
"Logan," I said with a smile, getting up off the couch and walking over to him. It was only then that I noticed the bag in his hand. My shoulders sagged slightly. "You are leaving." It wasn't a question.
"'Fraid so, Sprite," Logan replied, returning my smile. "Came to give you a quick goodbye."
I frowned at this, puzzled. "Why are you saying goodbye if you are returning?" I asked.
This statement caused Logan to chuckle and he ruffled my dark auburn hair, much to my annoyance.
"Don't ever change, Sprite," he told me, as I smoothed down my hair. I opened my mouth to say something else, but Rogue had come over. I took that as my cue to leave them be. I headed towards the doorway, just managing to hear Rouge say: "I kind of like it." I looked over my shoulder to see Logan holding up a piece of Rouge's now white hair. I give him a lopsided grin of farewell before jogging down the hallway, having a few words that I needed to share with a powerful telepath.
()()()()()()
"Are you sure you want to leave, Spirit?" the Professor asked before I even had a chance to open my mouth. I gave a soft growl, but it was a good natured growl.
"Stay out of my head," I replied, hesitantly slightly to reply the words in my head to make sure that they had come out right.
Xavier chuckled. "My apologized. But with you thinking your thoughts so loudly, it was hard not to hear them even without snooping."
I rolled my eyes at the elder. "I wish to leave for one moon cycle," I said. "It is custom. It is. . ." I pause, searching for the right word.
"Necessary?" the Professor asked gently. "You wish to go into the woods for one moon cycle as a loner, making your living as a she-wolf."
I nodded, ignoring the fact that he had read my mind to get the information he needed. If he hadn't, we'd have been here all day trying to find the words that I wished to use. My English wasn't all that vast.
"Then I suggest you go. I will not keep you here against your will."
"I am thankful."
"When will you be leaving?"
"Tonight. When the full moon has touched the stars."
"So soon? I was expecting you to wait longer, keep Rogue company now that Logan is leaving."
"Rogue has more than me in her pack. Like the one who smells of ice."
"Yes, Bobby seems very close to her at the moment. I hope that they continue to be close. Rogue needs people around her who understand her. Like he does."
I nodded and gave a small smile. "Thank you, Professor," I tell him before turning to leave.
"One moment, Spirit. I wish to give you something before you leave. A. . .traakera," the Professor said, having a bit of difficulty pronouncing the last word.
That word made me smile. "Teerkera," I corrected, growling out the 'ee' and saying the word with a touch of a Latin dialect. "How did you know about the teerkera?"
His only answer was to tap his temple and my smile broadened. "Using your powers for good," I said with a wink, yet another habit that I had picked up from the mutants at the school.
"A bit. Though the term still puzzles me."
I was only too happy to [try to] explain. "A teerkera is when a young she-wolf leaves the pack for the first time. A parting gift to keep her going until she returns. More like a celebration than a gift," I told him, an explanation that took just about two minutes to put into words thanks to my pausing and hesitations. I was getting better, but I still had troubles.
"Understandable," the Professor said with a kind smile, bringing something out from behind his desk. I took a curious step forward, blue eyes bright with curiosity. He held out a small box, which I took with my hands (for those who haven't been an animal, just one thing to say about humans: opposable thumbs rock!)
I opened the box and my eyes widened slightly at the gift inside. It was a necklace that had a large ice crystal in the shape of a teardrop hanging from the bottom, but it didn't smell of ice. I rubbed my fingers over the "ice crystal", noting how cool it felt and the texture of the crystal
"It is called a diamond, Spirit. A precious gem to humans. I wish for you to have this, to remember us by while you are on your journey," he told me, smiling. "I have feeling that you will be staying in your wolf form while you are gone, so I made sure that it would fit, and your fur should hide the diamond."
I turned the stone in the light, captivated by the beautiful of such a thing and how it could catch the light and throw it off in a different shade of color.
"It is beautiful, Professor. Thank you," I tell him, astonished that he would give me such a thing. Still smiling, Xavier took the necklace and I knelt so that he could latch it around my neck. The gem settled perfectly between the bones of my collarbone once I stood and I fingered the necklace.
"I will treasure is always," I promised. "And I will give something to you in return."
Puzzled, the Professor's eyebrows lowered slightly, curious.
"And what would that be?" he asked.
I only gave a small grin, eyes twinkling with mischief. "You will see," I told him, keeping my thoughts thoroughly shut down. I winked and left the room, wanting to get a last meal before I left that night.
()()()()()()
Night came too quickly for my taste. I hadn't told Rogue that I was leaving, and I didn't plan to. The Professor was the only one who actually knew of my departure. That was one thing I hadn't told Xavier about the teerkera: the she-wolf had to leave without telling anyone, except for the Alpha, that she was leaving. It wasn't just a gift that was given. It was a way for the pack to get used to the she-wolf leaving them without warning, like if she found a mate or if they were killed. I knew that I wouldn't be able to have either, but I still wanted to keep some of my heritage alive within myself.
I touched the diamond around my neck as I made my way silently through the hallway, avoiding the creaky boards. I had already gotten rid of my clothing, setting it neatly on my made-up bed. My usual skintight suit was also upstairs, so I traveled through the hallway without anything on, the way it was supposed to be. I touched the handle of the door and looked over my shoulder, giving a small smile at the interior of the mansion.
'You'll be back by the next full moon,' I told myself before turning the handle and stepping outside. The cool night air caressed my bare skin like a long lost friend. I smiled again, wider this time. I change into my wolf form and take in all the scents of the outdoors. I look up towards the sky, taking note of the full moon overhead, a glowing disk amongst the white diamonds that were the stars. I wait a few more moments for the moon to rise a little bit higher before giving a low howl of happiness and bolting towards the nearby woods, soon disappearing from sight even with my white fur.
()()()()()()
The Professor's POV
It was the next morning while I was having breakfast when Rogue ran in, her brown and white hair still tussled from sleep, though her brown eyes were bright and wide awake. And shining with worry.
"Spirit's gone," she said, breathing heavily as though she'd been running around the school. And knowing the young girl's love of the shapeshifting mutant, I would guess that's exactly what she had been doing.
"Spirit left last night," I told my student. "She didn't tell you?"
Wordlessly, Rogue shook her head, fighting tears. "No, she didn't. Where did she go? Will she come back?"
"She will be back in a month, Rogue, I promise. She had some business to take care of. Though I am surprised that she didn't tell you that she was leaving," I said, taking note of the dog tags around Rogue's neck. Logan's dog tags.
"But why didn't she tell me?" Rogue asked, her accent blurring her words slightly. I could only shrug.
"I guess she did not want you to worry about her and try to get her to stay," I suggested, repositioning myself slightly in my wheelchair. Rogue bit her bottom lip, still looking worried.
"I wouldn't worry about her though, Rogue. If Spirit where here, she'd probably tell you that she's a grown wolf and that she can take care of herself. She just wants a bit of freedom after being cooped up in the mansion after all this time. Do you understand what I'm saying?" I asked her.
Rogue nodded, giving a sigh. "I guess your right, Professor. I mean, I have Bobby and the other students for company. I guess she doesn't really have anyone anymore, huh?"
"Oh, she does," I replied. "But she doesn't feel as close to the other students as you do. She's even more different than the mutants that are already here. She was trapped in a cage for the majority of her life, both literally and figuratively. Just give her some time. Besides, I know that she'll tell you all about her adventures once she returns."
"I can see her doin' that," Rogue said, a smile finally touching her lips. "Thank you, Professor."
"Anytime, Rogue," I told her before watching her walk off back down the hallway, allowing me to finish my breakfast in peace.
Throughout the course of the day, multiple people came up to me to ask where Spirit was. I could only tell them the same thing I had told Rogue: that she needed some time to herself and that she'd be back by the end of the month. Other than that, the day went on regularly with classes and whatnot. It wasn't until that night that I found out what Spirit's gift to me was. And possibly a gift to the rest of the occupants in the mansion as well.
I had been sitting next to the window, reading quietly, when the howl pierced the night. I jumped, startled, until I realized what the howl was. It was the howling of a wolf. I smiled broadly and opened the window, ignoring the chill of the breeze outside. The howl got louder and louder, rising in pitch and tone before it lowered and rose again. The music was beautiful, something that only a wolf could create. That was Spirit's gift to me, I realized. The Song of the Wild.
I could faintly hear other windows being opened and the excited whisperings of the children above. They seemed to realize who was creating the music as well. A few even joined in, cupping their hands to their mouths and howling back to Spirit. I heard the white wolf respond, once again changing the pitch of her song. And all too soon, the song was over, the last of it being carried by the wind to our ears. Slowly, I could hear the windows being closed and I shut mine as well, feeling lighter than air with a spiritual sense surrounding myself.
Every night after that, until she returned, Spirit would sing to us, showing us that she was still there and allowing us a sense of peace, trying to show us what it was like to be free through song. And every night, I went to bed a happy man, dreaming of the Song of the Wild.